Interlude
by Wendymypooh
Summary: Jaina Solo has a late night conversation with another Jedi. This story takes place during the events in the New Jedi Order. This is an Alternative Universe, based around the varied storylines written in an old SW RPG I used to run, New Horizon Au. Goshyn Maul was created by my friend Novaguyver.


Interlude

Goshyn watched as Jaina left the common area in the company of her family, before heading to his own quarters aboard the Errant Venture. The evening had ended on a much pleasanter note than it had begun. He had attended the celebration of Ben Skywalker's birth with much trepidation. He was a bit of a loner, due partly because he had always been alone, but also because his fellow Jedis still treated him with suspicion and wariness.

Even though he had trained with many of the Knights, and now fought beside them, they questioned his loyalty and devotion to the lightside of the Force. He had become accustomed to their stares and disdain, and didn't allow their actions to trouble him too much.

He had long since come to terms with his mixed lineage. He embraced both his half-human and half-Zabrak sides and was not ashamed of who he was. He was a Jedi. He had chosen the lightside of the Force and was determined to show everyone that he was as good as they were.

So he had gone to the celebration, out of respect for both Masters Skywalkers, but had only planned to stay for a few moments. Seeing Jaina Solo had changed that. She had been holding her infant cousin, and something about the nurturing way she did, had struck something within him. He had known her as a fierce fighter and hotshot pilot, and a gifted Jedi as well. But tonight for the first time, he had seen her as a woman. A beautiful, nurturing, and graceful woman, who had decided that he was worthy of getting to know.

Now, as he reached his quarters and keyed the door open, all he could think about was Jaina. He wondered if she had felt something for him other than compassion as they danced around the others gathered in the common room.

Goshyn removed his lightsaber, stripped out of his soiled clothing and hit the refresher. After a hot shower, he stretched his weary body out on the bed, and willed himself to sleep. Moments passed though, and he found that despite his weariness, his mind was too busy for him to sleep.

He decided to take a stroll around the ship, hoping that doing so would calm his mind enough to enable him to go to sleep.

Part 2

Jaina was aware of not only Goshyn's eyes upon her, but Kyp Durron's as well. She hadn't been aware that Kyp had arrived on the Errant Venture, until she spotted him as she and her family left the celebration to turn in for the night. She had seen him rise from where he had been seated with some other Jedis, and move across the room to intercept her leaving it and had hastened her pace. She had no desire to see or converse with him, and Jacen must have sensed that, as he suddenly wheeled around from his place beside her, and moved to intercept Kyp, halting the other Jedi's progress toward her.

She had sent her gratitude to Jacen through the Force for his action, as she continued on to her quarters. She knew that she would have to eventually talk to Kyp, but she just wasn't ready to yet. She bid her parents, aunt and uncle, Anakin and Tahiri good night and keyed open the door to her quarters and stepped inside.

She stripped out of her clothes, let her hair out of its customary braids, and stepped into the refresher. Afterwards she dressed in a burgundy nightgown and robe, and eyed her bed for a moment, then decided she was too awake to try to sleep now. Seeing Kyp had brought a rush of memories flooding through her, most of them good, but some bad, especially the last time she had seen him.

Keying the door to her room open, Jaina slipped out into the now quiet corridor. It seemed that not only had the other Jedis heeded her Uncle Luke's orders, but that Booster Terrick had relieved the majority of the Errant Venture's personnel to turn in for the night as well.

She walked the quiet corridors until she came to an observation platform. She stared out of the transparisteel window at the glowing darkness of the galaxy. Stars in the near distance twinkled with flashes of bright light, and in the far distance she could see a flicker of blue and red and gold, and knew that in some part of the galaxy fierce fighting against the Yuuzhan Vong continued.

Her mind drifted onto Kyp. It hurt her still to think of him. To think of how he had used her and her brothers to do his dirty work. She had never thought she would be on the outs with Kyp. They had been friends for too long, and yes, she admitted, there had been something else starting there…but all of that was gone. Kyp had betrayed her trust and she didn't think she would ever be able to forgive him.

Part 3

Goshyn walked through the corridors, occasionally sensing eyes upon him as he passed open doorways, but he didn't let it bother him. The personnel of the Errant Venture were just doing their jobs, and for whoever else might be keeping tabs on him, he was okay with that too. He wanted nothing more than for his fellow Jedis to see that he was on their side. He would fight for the lightside of the Force, or die in honor of it.

As he rounded a corner in the corridor, he came upon an observation platform. A beautiful young woman stood looking out the transparisteel window, deep in thought. She was dressed in a flowing burgundy gown and robe, and her long dark hair fell in waves down to the middle of her slender back. He didn't have to see her face to know that it was Jaina Solo.

He stilled his forward movement, sensing she was in deep thought, and whether or not he should disturb her. The last thing he wanted to do would put himself on the outs with her now that she was finally talking to him.

Goshyn took a moment to center his disjointed thoughts and stepped forward, quietly saying her name as he approached her. "Jaina?"

Jaina was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't sense the approach of another Jedi. She had a moment to wonder if Kyp had tracked her down after all, and was preparing for a confrontation with him, when she recognized the Jedi approaching her location, a mere second before Goshyn spoke her name.

She took another moment to decide that she wasn't bothered by his appearance, and then turned to face him as he took the last couple of steps toward her.

"I don't mean to disturb you." Goshyn was quick to say.

"You aren't." Jaina replied. "Looks like I wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep."

Goshyn stepped up beside her, glancing out at the wondrous view of the galaxy the window afforded him. He could see the twinkling brilliance of a multitude of stars, and marveled at such a peaceful setting. It was hard for him to believe that while the small sector of the galaxy they were currently in was all quiet, and peaceful, a fierce and bloody battle still raged on between the multitude of planets and the deadly Yuuzhan Vong.

"Sleep eludes me tonight." Goshyn admitted. "I would only grow restless staying inside my quarters, so I decided to take a stroll around. If I am bothering you, please tell me to go, and I will take my leave."

"You aren't bothering me." Jaina smiled at him."In truth, I was half-expecting you to be someone else. Someone I don't really want to see right now."

"Kyp Durron?" Goshyn inquired.

Part 4

Jaina's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Just what do you know?"

"Nothing." Goshyn told her calmly. "I saw him rise to follow you out of the common room earlier, and saw your brother Jacen's maneuver to intercept Kyp. I assumed that it was on your behalf, but if I'm wrong in my presumption, I am sorry."

"No, I am sorry."Jaina said. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. Kyp and I are, we were…friends, but I'm not sure what we are to each other anymore."

"I see." Goshyn was quiet for a moment. " Were you lovers then?"

"What? No! Nothing like that." Jaina was quick to explain. "We've known each other since we were kids, and have always been close until recently. He did something that broke my trust, and I'm not ready yet to forgive him or even sure if I ever will."

"Trust is hard to earn." Goshyn commented. "But it is even harder to earn back once it's been broken."

"Yes it is." Jaina agreed.

"May I make a suggestion?" Goshyn asked.

"You may. I can't promise that I will take it." Jaina grinned at him.

"Fair enough." Goshyn smiled back at her. "My suggestion is this: Take whatever time you need to come to a decision that you can live with."

Jaina pondered his words for a moment. "That sounds like something Master Luke would say."

"Thank you." Goshyn was pleased at her words. To be compared to Luke Skywalker in even the slightest way was a huge compliment.

"What for?" Jaina was puzzled by his response.

"For saying I sounded like Master Luke." Goshyn replied. "I took it as a compliment."

"Oh," Jaina grinned. 'Well then, you're welcome."

"I should be getting back to my quarters now." Goshyn said, even though he hated to end their conversation. "It's late, and I think I could possibly sleep now."

"I should return to mine as well." Jaina said.

"May I escort you back to your quarters?" Goshyn held his breath. He knew she was perfectly capable of seeing herself safely back to them, but he didn't want to part from her just yet.

"You may." Jaina turned away from the observation platform, Goshyn falling into step beside her.

A companionable silence fell between them, each enjoying the new found ease they felt being in the other's company. They reached Jaina's quarters far too quickly, Goshyn felt with much regret. J

"I'll see you at the Jedi meeting in the morning." Goshyn said and turned to leave.

" Goodnight. Goshyn."

Jaina watched him walk away, wondering at how in a few short hours time, she had gone from possibly loathing Goshyn, to finding herself actually starting to like him. She puzzled over this new train of thought as she settled into bed for the night.


End file.
